Fallout
by tvaddict23
Summary: GrSR COMPLETE! 25 August 2005
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N - I am a firm GSR shipper. However TPTB seem to have different ideas if rumours of the season finale and various other tidbits. It'll still be GSR only G will be for Greg not Gil. So here goes my first Greg/Sara (though possibly still Griss/Sara in the end :-))

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**FALLOUT**

Sighing with relief Sara fairly flew down the steps of the courthouse. It wasn't so much that she disliked testifying or having to over-simplify the terminology or down play the complexity of the procedures. It was making them understand that a REAL criminal investigation was nothing like what they saw from week to week on all the crime shows that had sprung up in the past five years or so. It was a lot of lab work, usually boring, and hours at a crime scene finding, identifying and cataloguing evidence. Nothing was so simple as to be solved in a regular hour of television.

It was almost five and she only had a few hours of free time before having to go to work. She spent a few moments at the wheel of her car, before settling on the usual, which was going home, reading the latest forensic journal and listening to the Buzzcocks 'Best of...' album. Which would still be a change from the police scanner she usually had on in the background when she was reading. It was a little step, but a step in the right direction.

Arriving home, she took off her court clothes and changed into a pair of very old shorts and t-shirt, both sporting the Harvard logo. Taking a bottle of wine from the fridge, a glass from the cabinet, the remote for the stereo, and her still wrapped in plastic forensic magazine, she spread herself comfortably on the couch.

Half an hour later, she was so engrossed in the article she was reading on new forensic field methods, that she didn't hear her phone ring. It was only when her pager and cell phone chirped that she finally turned the music down and answered the call, which from the caller ID confirmed that it was the lab, and most likely Grissom calling her to come in early.

"Hi Grissom."

"Sara, can you come in to work a little early?"

_Wow, what a shocker, spend all day in court and then get called in to work early. _"Sure Griss, give me half an hour or so."

"Thanks Sara."

She hung up without answering his response. _Yeah, thanks, _she thought. _Haven't said thanks for giving up my career for you. Haven't said thank you for all the times I've put my life on hold every time you called. _

She knew she was being harsh, she'd had the choice to say no now, and all the other times, but her need to please people, a remnant of her foster days, when she did all she could to win the approval of her foster parents and foster siblings. It had disgusted her then, and it disgusted her now that she could still be so easily influenced.

On the way to work, a song became lodged in her not so sub-conscious, but going over the words, she KNEW why. The Best of the Buzzcocks featured "Ever Fallen In Love…" And boy had she ever fallen for someone whom she shouldn't have. It described her to a tee.

Even before Grissom, she'd had an incredible knack of picking the EXACT person, who for whatever reason was wrong. Grissom was just the latest in the long line of asses she'd fallen for. As much as she admired almost everything about him, when it come to 'whatever' it was between them, he was an ass.

Pulling into the parking lot, she realized that she still probably had the smell of wine on her breath. Popping her glove compartment, she was pleased to see the pack of breath mints right in front. With a deep sight, she headed toward another shift.

Barely even acknowledging her presence, let alone the fact hat she'd given up three hours of her free time Grissom said, "Sara, you need to go help Greg at a Henderson crime scene. I called him in early too."

"Sure," she said in a weary tone.

Surprisingly intuiting her mood, he stopped and really noticed her. "You okay?"

A look of surprise quickly crossed her face. "Uh, sure Griss." Taking the slip of paper with the Henderson address from his hand, she finished, "I better go help Greg."

Arriving at a the double homicide scene, Sara checked in with the police officer guarding the front door. "I think your young protégé is in the kitchen," he said with a smile which Sara returned. The officer temporarily went weak at the knees at her thousand watt smile.

Inside the house, Sara could smell the coppery odour of blood. Finding the kitchen, she was proud to see Greg carefully working the room in a grid fashion. He was also sporting a Tyvek suit, was double gloved and had slipped on protective booties.

Feeling her presence he looked up and flashed her his typical enthused smile. "Hey Sar, I thought Grissom was gonna get Sofia in."

Sara snapped on a pair of gloves. "Nah, guess she was smart enough to tell him to go jump. So he had to call me cause he knows I'll never have anything better to do."

Greg's expression changed a little. He'd never heard Sara talk that way about Grissom, whom he thought she had a crush on, AND how sick and tired she sounded. Also something he'd never heard from her.

Noticing the change of expression and realising how she'd sounded, Sara quickly covered it up by flashing a smile and pointing to his get up. "Greggy, I know you don't wanna screw up, but the Tyvek suit is a little over the top."

He shrugged in his usual carefree way. "Yeah I know. Just trying to find my style, y'know?"

Sara shook her head as she took her camera from her case and started snapping pictures of the scene.

As she was working, she thought about the last time she'd been that enthused about her job? She could still remember the slight flutter of butterfly wings when she went on a case, and try as she might she couldn't remember the last time she'd been truly satisfied with her career path. She couldn't even say when that enthusiasm had stopped, only that Grissom was usually behind the times she felt worst.

It was beginning to dawn on her after four years or so, that the fantasy she'd been entertaining wasn't ever going to materialise.

Smiling at Greg before moving in to the next room Sara said, "Hey Greg, you're doing a great job."

Greg returned the smile. "Thanks," he said returning to his work.

It was then that he decided to do everything in his power to get Sara to flash him that smile as often as he could possibly manage. He wanted to ask Grissom for help in setting up something special, but it would have been too uncomfortable to ask him. Doc Robbins would help him though. He was going to give her something he KNEW Grissom had never done for her.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N – Thanks to everyone who reviewed. As always much appreciated.

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Chapter 2

They spent the entire shift working the house, collecting every piece of evidence, by the time they returned to the lab, both Sara and Greg were exhausted and worse still, it'd take them at least three hours to properly catalogue the evidence before they would be able to process it next shift.

At 10am Sara wrote out the last label and stuck it onto the bindle. Clapping Greg on the back, she said, "Wake up Greggo, we're done for the day."

Having dozed off slightly, Greg rubbed his eyes. "Wha…oh, I'm sorry Sar, I didn't mean to pin you with the work."

"Don't worry about it Greg," she said leaving the evidence room.

"C'mon, let me make it up to you. IHOP for breakfast. I'm buying. Anything you want." Greg watched her closely, sure she was going to reject him once again.

He almost fell over backwards when she said, "Sure, sounds good. Let's go."

It took a few moments for the neurons to communicate the answer to his muscles. When they finally moved him into action he looked for all the world like a puppy at the pound, hoping to be picked, goofy brown eyes and all.

"Excellent."

Sara watched him for a few moments before bursting into laughter. "Greggo, calm down, it's breakfast, not sex."

He stopped instantly and fixed her with a stare.

"Figure of speech Greg, get over it."

A short time, and drive later they were seated across from each other, perusing the menu's.

"So, what do you feel like?"

She studied him over the top of her menu. The smile that had formed when she'd accepted his invitation to dinner was still lighting up his face.

He looked up and caught her staring. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing Greg, I was just thinking that this was a really nice idea."

The beam morphed into a shy smile. "No problem, just happy you finally accepted."

"Yeah, guess I've been kind of stand offish. You're really an alright kind of guy. Just a little hard to get used to your particular style."

"And now?" he was curious.

"And now, I've realized that it's just your way, just like it's Grissoms way to be a closed off, single minded, nose so far into his job that he had no idea of the people around him."

"Huh, I thought everything was cool between you."

"Oh yeah, things are cool, cold maybe. Well, freezing would be more precise." She shook off the thoughts, "But that's neither here nor there."

Greg fell into silence, contemplating what Sara had said. He'd only heard rumours of Griss and Sara's relationship, but hearing her talk now, he was pretty certain what ever feelings had been there were fading fast.

Then another thought surfaced. What if she was just settling for second best? Or even just stringing him along til Griss got his head out of his ass? He quickly drowned the thoughts again.

"Hey," he said desperate to change the mood. "What are you going to do today?"

"Probably sleep, considering the six hours overtime."

"Oh, I thought maybe you'd like to go see a movie, or perhaps we could go out to Lake Mead and hire a couple of Jet Skis."

Finishing her stack of syrup covered blueberry pancakes, Sara tried to let the young CSI down easily. "Hey Greg, it's just breakfast okay? Don't go planning the rest of our lives together."

Shocked, but trying to hide it he fished his wallet out and took out enough bills to cover the meal and the tip. "Oh sure, I was just you know,…in case you wanted to get away from it a little, unwind, have some fun."

Putting her arm around his shoulders as they walked out, she tried to cheer him up. "On the other hand, I didn't say I'd NEVER do any of those things with you, but don't rush things alright?"

"So we're cool?"

She gave him a bright smile, "Yeah, we're cool."

He watched her head toward her apartment, while he headed back to the lab, and Dr Robbins in the autopsy bay.

The week ended up being very tiring for Sara. It seemed that every case she was assigned bought back memories of her own childhood.

First there'd been a mother who'd killed both of her children after suffering from post-partum depression, which had been made worse by her abusive boyfriend.

Close on the heels of that one, was a husband who'd beaten his wife to death after she confronted him about an affair he'd been having, but the worst by far was the discovery, just outside the Las Vegas city limits of a thirteen year old child.

She'd spent every minute of the following forty eight hours trying to find out who the girl was, and where she'd come from. She finally discovered that she'd been a foster-home run away. Her history said that she'd been in foster care from the age of five. She'd been bounced from home to home and family to family ever since. Her last case worker had cited developmental problems, drug and alcohol abuse and a number of petty theft charges.

Sara joined Dr Robbins for the autopsy. The catalogue of injuries and other things made her heart hurt. The examination revealed, fractured facial bones, broken arms and legs, sexual abuse, and the evidence of at least one abortion, and she'd only been thirteen.

Leaving work that day, Sara had headed for the bar nearest her place, and sat down to get stinking drunk. She wanted no memories to haunt her, and the only way to do that was to pass out drunk.

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	3. Chapter 3

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N – Wow, I never thought a Greg/Sara romance would be so well received. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to all who reviewed. It's always appreciated.

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**Chapter 3**

Thrilled with his accomplishment Greg left the lab. The special outing he had planned for Sara was ready to put into action. He drove to Sara's apartment jazzed that he'd been able to secure a trip to the Body Farm. He knew that Sara had been aching to go for as long as he could remember.

Bounding up the stairs he knocked on the door. He stood for a few minutes hopping from one foot to the other in anticipation. After five minutes with still no answer Greg started to worry. He knocked again, while taking his cell phone from his pocket and punched in her number. He heard the phone inside ringing, but nothing else.

He ran back down the stairs to double check her parking space. The Denali was sitting where it should be. He checked the hood, it was cold, indicating that she'd either taken a cab to where ever she was/went or that she'd not gone anywhere.

Running back up the stairs, while punching in her number again he listened to the shrill ring of the phone inside, but still there was no other sign of life. Finally he resorted to banging on the door and shouting her name. Finally there was movement from inside.

He was shocked at what he saw when the door opened. Sara's eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed, her already pale face was now ghostly white. Her hair was stringy and lank.

"Sara?"

There was only a slight glimmer of recognition, and not a sound from her. Leaving the door open she stumbled back to her bedroom. Greg was nervous, but extremely worried, he'd never seen her look so trashed.

Looking around the room, he saw no evidence that she'd gotten trashed here, not a bottle in sight. He followed her to the bedroom and cautiously looked in on her.

She was spread-eagle on the bed with one arm flung over her eyes.

"Uh…Sara. You alright?"

"Fuck off Greg," she moaned.

He turned to leave then stopped. Something was wrong. He was her friend if nothing else and be damned if he was just going to leave her like this. Stopping in the kitchen he grabbed a glass and filled it with water. On his way through to the bedroom he checked the bathroom for any painkillers. He grabbed a bottle of aspirin and entered Sara's bedroom.

Sitting on the edge of the bed he shook her shoulder gently. "Hey Sara? C'mon wake up."

She shook off his hand and slapped it away. "Greggo? I told you to fuck off," she said eyes still closed.

"No," he stated simply.

Sara risked opening her eyes a little. "No?"

"No," he repeated. "There's obviously something wrong and I'm not leaving you like this."

She opened her eyes fully and spat out a laugh. "My knight in shining armour," she said sarcastically.

The barb hurt, but he knew it wasn't really her that was speaking. He shook out a couple of aspirin. "Here, drink this and take these."

She tried to push him away, but he sat fast and held it out to her. It was a good ten minutes before she finally took the tablets and water from him.

Shoving the glass back into his hand she said, "There, happy? Now, would you please piss off!"

"No," he said softly. "I'm not leaving until you're sobered up or until you tell me what's wrong."

Sara lay back down. "Well Greggo, you got a long wait ahead of you, cause I'm going to sleep now. When I get up, I expect you NOT to be here."

Greg knew the conversation was over. He struggled with the decision of wether to go or stay. On one hand he was her friend, and he felt a duty to stay until he was sure she was okay. It was something he would have done for Nick or Warrick, or any of his other friends. And then there was the fact that their friendship wasn't as strong as the one she had with Grissom. But he was pretty certain that Nick and Warrick's company would have been just as unwelcome.

_Fuck it_, he thought and wandered into her small lounge-room. The few shelves housed a collection of forensic journals and books. _No wonder she's so good at her job. It really is her whole life._

Perusing the selection he chose a text on facial reconstruction. He put on the coffee maker, wrinkling his nose at Sara's choice of coffee. _Never mind_, he thought. _She'd be happy with instant when she wakes up_.

Skimming the text while waiting for the coffee to filter, his mind wandered as to what would have caused Sara to go on a bender like that. He hoped that there would be a time when Sara would confide in him. He sat in the lounge reading the text and drinking the mediocre coffee.

He wasn't sure what time it was when a noise from the kitchen woke him. As he stepped into the small kitchen, Sara said, "I thought I told you to get out?"

"Yeah, you did."

"So?" she said taking a sip of coffee. "Why're you still here?"

Pouring himself a fresh cup he said, "Because I don't leave friends by themselves when it's obvious they need someone looking out for them."

Sara closed her eyes. Her hands were wrapped around the coffee mug for warmth and she was leaning heavily against the counter top. She sighed deeply before talking, "Thanks for staying Greg. I'm fine now. Please leave."

Wanting to protest, but knowing it would only irritate her, Greg nodded and left in silence. When the door finally closed Sara finally broke down and let her tears fall.

She pulled herself together enough to go to the bathroom and run a shower. Stripping, she stepped under the hot spray. She was hoping that it would wash away the memories, or even just wash them out a little. She stayed until the water started running cold.

Dragging herself to the bedroom she slowly dressed for work. What did it matter what time she got there? There was always evidence to sort, analyse, and log in. It was a never-ending cycle. Besides, there was no way she was going to get back to sleep, and she really didn't want to hang around until it was time to go to work.

Popping a few more aspirins, she grabbed her travel mug and filled it with coffee, before stepping out.


	4. Chapter 4

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N – Hope the last chapter was okay, didn't get many reviews :-( Well, either way I hope you enjoy chapter 4

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**Chapter 4**

Greg was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Despite her annoyance, she smiled, "You been waiting down here the whole time?"

He nodded, but didn't return the smile. "You're not going to work are you?" he asked as she headed toward her car.

"Sure, why not?"

"Because you're still hung-over. And seeing as you don't have a life OUTSIDE work, WORK has to be the reason you got hammered." He tried the joke, but it fell quicker than a lead balloon.

Too tired and hung over to argue, and not appreciating the humour she simply kept walking.

He jogged a little to get in front of her. "Would you stop!"

She stood still while Greg continued. "Listen, I know I've been in the field less than a year, I'm no where near the CSI you are. When I was still in the lab, I could understand your indifference of me and truth be told, I didn't really care. But I'm your colleague now, not your equal, but I am your co-worker and most times your partner. You're a liability when you're hung over, and I want my teacher at her best. All that aside though, I'm your friend, and a fellow CSI. Please trust me enough to tell me what's bothering you so much?"

Greg had always thought that brown eyes especially Sara's could never convey ice cold, the way blue eyes could. He was wrong. Sara glared at him and he was positive he could hear the air around him crackling as it froze.

"Greg," she said with barely controlled fury, "don't let the fact that we've had a few breakfasts together, or that you're a CSI now cloud the fact that I have told you NUMEROUS times to leave me the FUCK alone. Now get out of my way." She pushed past him and he let her go.

Once she had slammed the door of the Denali closed, she sat back in the seat, shocked at what had just happened. She looked through the tinted glass. Greg hadn't moved from where she'd pushed past him. Punching her fists against the steering wheel, she opened the door and walked back to Greg.

Hesitating slightly she stood in front of him. Taking a deep breath and swallowing a considerable amount of pride, Sara said, "I'm sorry."

He looked up at her. The hurt she'd caused still written on his face and reflected in his eyes. "You know, ever since you started working at the lab, I've had a crush on you."

He uttered a small depreciating laugh. "Like you didn't already know that. Any way, you knew how thrilled I was when you conceded to have breakfast with me, the woman I'd been admiring for years…, well that happiness will be with me for the rest of my life, even if this never goes further than it is now."

Sara's heart was getting heavier by the second as Greg continued pouring out his to her. "When I came over today, it was to ask you out on a very special excursion. When you didn't answer your door, I got worried. Then when you finally DID answer the door, I became terrified. I know it's naïve to think that the people you work with everyday are the same outside work as they are inside. I…I…, damn."

Placing her hand on his arm, Sara said, "I get it Greg."

"No, you don't. Before, I had a crush on you, but since you started teaching me, my admiration for you grew. I mean you were, are still as sexy as hell. But you're smart too. You're compassionate, you're focused more than anyone I've ever known, even more than Grissom sometimes. The way I saw you today, it scared me because I'd never seen you as susceptible."

"Well, Greg, surprise I'm human. At times a very weak and vulnerable human. I'm sorry that I don't stand up to your hero worship ideal…" she stopped herself. There was a glimmer of what she'd done to Grissom, in what she was accusing Greg of. She hated herself for it, but she also knew it wasn't something that could be turned off, even when you realised the person was fallible.

She sighed, a deep, lonely and tired sigh. "I'm sorry Greg. I know you mean well."

Suddenly much too tired to go to work, she headed back up to her apartment. Half way up the stairs she turned, "Well, you coming or not?"

A surprised smile lit up his face, as he ran up the stairs.

Back in her apartment, she dropped her work gear and went into the kitchen. "So, you wanna coffee or something?"

Greg pushed his way between her and the coffee-machine. "That's okay, I'll do it. You don't have much to work with here for a good cup, and I don't wanna be drinking swill." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry didn't mean to be so blunt, but you know how much a good cup of coffee means to me."

Shrugging Sara backed off. "Fine, least I won't have to do it."

Fixing the filter and carefully measuring in the coffee, he set up the machine to percolate the best coffee, the brand would produce.

He then joined Sara in her living room. She was slouched on the sofa, eyes closed. Greg thought she'd fallen asleep again, when she spoke, "What's the one thing so far, that gets you angry? I mean REALLY angry?"

Her eyes were still closed, but he thought he heard tears in her voice. "Uh, nothing yet I guess. I mean it's all pretty sick, but I haven't found any one thing that I find sicker or more upsetting than anything else."

Eyes still closed, she said, "You ever notice how Grissom gets with cases involving children, or Warrick when it comes to minority cases, for Nick it's child abuse and Catherine, well, I don't know. Seems everything gets her pissed if she's in the right mood. Whatever. Anyway for me it's family abuse. Wife, kids, husband. Doesn't matter, they all get to me. That last case with the runaway foster kid, was what tipped me over the edge. I'm sorry I was insensitive, but I wasn't really seeing straight okay?"

Nodding as he stood to get the coffee, he wandered, not for the first time what Sara's background was, and wether he was going to be able to be a CSI for very long.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N – Thanks again to all those who reviewed. As always, it means a lot and is much appreciated. Hope you all enjoy Ch 5.

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**Chapter 5**

Bringing two cups of coffee back into the lounge-room, Greg saw that Sara had fallen asleep. Taking both cups back into the kitchen, and pouring them down the drain, he returned to her sleeping form. Gently lifting her legs and cradling her head, he moved her into a curled position. Grabbing the afghan that was draped over the back of the sofa he drew it over her. Making sure everything was locked down, he quietly let himself out.

Sara woke an hour before shift. She was a little surprised to find herself on the sofa. Then she remembered getting drunk, yelling at Greg, attempting to go to work, yelling at Greg AGAIN and finally passing out again.

Stumbling to the bathroom, she swallowed two more aspirin before taking a quick shower so she'd look normal when she went in to work.

Greg looked at the clock with more than a little apprehension. There were only five minutes remaining before the beginning of shift and Sara still hadn't rocked up. _Maybe I should have stayed with her, _he thought. _Don't be a doofus. She's fine, probably just a little hung-over still. _He sat back sure that that was the reason. Then another thought wormed it's way in. _Maybe she went out and got plastered again! _Mentally chiding himself again he countered the inner voice with, _She's not an alcoholic. She had a bad couple of days and needed to forget. She'll be here soon._

Before his mind could produce any more arguments, Sara entered the break-room and headed straight for the coffee. She smiled a little when she realised that Greg had used his premium blend.

Sitting at the table she directed a smile at him silently thanking him for the 'good stuff'.

All she said that revealed anything that had happened earlier that day was, "Thanks for the afghan."

He smiled as they worked their case as they normally would have.

As the weeks passed, he slowly rebuilt the bridges that had been damaged. Finally, three weeks after 'the incident' he asked Sara to accompany him on a drive. After much pleading and assurances that he was taking her someplace VERY SPECIAL, Sara finally though warily agreed to go with him.

At last they were on their way. There was a smile on Greg's face that'd been there since she'd said yes. Any outsider would have believed it to be the smile of a man whose marriage proposal had been met with a YES!

Stealing a sideways glance at her, Greg marvelled again at her beauty. When he looked back to the road a thought struck him that almost made him slam on the brakes.

It had hit him that at the age of 28, he, a grown man was acting like a hormone driven horny teenager. He glanced at her again. The sun coming through the window caught the highlights in her hair, making him want to run his hands through it.

Struggling again to concentrate on the road he grinned. Who the hell cared how he was acting? He was in the company of a beautiful, smart and sexy woman, whom he'd been crushing on for years. What was there not to be excited about?

Sara had caught the little interaction he'd had with himself and couldn't help but smile. As much as she hated to admit it, it was easy to get caught up in and be swept away by his enthusiasm.

As they drew closer to their destination, Sara finally twigged to where he was taking her. The Body Farm.

Who knew how many times she'd begged Grissom to take her, or at least set it up so she could visit and be given a guided tour of the place. He'd either put it off, or ignored her request altogether. And now here was this young, green level 1 CSI, escorting her to one of the top five places in the world she most wanted to see.

"Hey Greg!" He glanced over at her and grinned before returning his attention to the road. "Thanks."

His smiled broadened but he kept his focus on the road. "Knew you'd figure it out pretty quick. I wanted you to wear a blindfold, but I was pretty sure you would have refused to go or punched me out if I'd asked. Doesn't matter though cause I'm happy that you're gonna enjoy it."

"How'd you set it up?"

"Well, I couldn't really ask Grissom on account of that thing you have going between you, and as much as I like Cath, she scares me, and she would have wanted to know why, then all the explaining, plus which lets face it she would've told Grissom any way. So I asked Dc Robbins. The very model of discretion."

Her fondness for him grew. He really was a sweet thoughtful guy who listened and by doing so was able to grasp nuances that totally by-passed the man whose affection and attention she craved the most.

But she refused to think of that now. She was in the company of a bright, handsome man who had surprised her with the perfect albeit bizarre outing and she was going to damn well enjoy herself.

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A/N 2 – Okay, I know that was short and mushy, but I had to go through that marsh to get where I'm going. Hope it didn't stink too much. 


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N –As always many thanks to all those who reviewed, it means a lot and is much appreciated. Many apologies for not updating in such a long time. Had a MAJOR case of writers block. Still not really gone, but I wanted to kick something out there for those of you who've been waiting.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

Sara's smile didn't diminish all the way back to Vegas. She turned to Greg, "Thanks for taking me. I've been jonesin' for it for…well as long as I've been a CSI really."

Greg who'd turned green a few times, but held onto his cookies quite well, returned the smile. "Hey, I've been just as curious. Those maggots though, jumping and the noise they made…ugh."

He turned a little green again at the memory. "You working tonight?" he asked, trying to get his mind off the swarming, squirming mass of blowfly larvae.

"Nope, got the night off."

"Lucky stiff."

She looked at him, and he shrugged with a smile. "Sorry, couldn't help that one."

The rest of the drive back was spent in a comfortable silence, with only the sounds of music coming from the speakers.

Arriving back in Vegas, Greg dropped Sara at her apartment. Not wanting to sound like an over protective boyfriend, but wanting to make sure none the less, that she'd be okay Greg asked, "What're you planning to do tonight?"

Sara bristled at the question, knowing what was being insinuated. "Greg, don't crowd. I appreciate everything you've done. Believe me you've been a life saver, and today, well that was just…well, thanks. But we're still just friends. Okay?"

If it weren't for the fact that his crush on her was growing, not going away, he would have walked away at that moment. But other than loving her, he was foremost her friend.

"Sara, I was only asking as a friend. I didn't mean to sound pushy. I did and I'm sorry. But after last time, you can't blame me for expressing a little concern."

Not wanting to validate his reason, she simply answered, "Today I plan to watch some mindless television, have a bite to eat, go for a drive, maybe do some reading. Is that a good enough description?" she huffed.

"Okay," he said heading back to his car. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sighing, she watched him pull away. Wow, she thought she was conflicted before, but now it was raging out of control. On one hand, there was a man whom she was desperately in love with who didn't give her the time of day, get whom she'd told her deepest darkest secrets.

And then there was Greg. Now that she was working with him, she found out there was so much more than a lab rat geek with weird hair, a tendency toward hyper-activity and a love of Kona Diamond Reserve coffee. He was actually smart beyond geeky (which meant that he was almost as smart as Grissom), sweetly sensitive and quite a bit more than was evident at first sight, or even after one or two years.

As if life itself wasn't complicated enough.

----------------

Greg bounced into the break room. Grissom was there, as was Sofia. Glaring over his glasses, he snapped, "Where's Sara?"

Greg spoke up, "Day off Boss."

He glared a little longer, before shuffling the assignment cards in an obvious sign of irritation. "Huh, okay then. Greg, you're with me, a B and E with homicide and Sofia, two dead bodies with suspicious circumstances. Make sure the patrolman assigned to guard you DOESN'T leave until you are finished. Address is on the card."

Following his boss from the break room, Greg watched with a degree or annoyance as Grissom pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Greg ran a few steps to catch up and stop him.

"Ah, she's not gonna answer."

Grissom stopped dead in his tracks, and Greg almost slammed into him. He took his glasses off. "Why?"

Greg wanted to snap at him, _'Cause she needs a break you jerk.' _Instead he took a deep breath and said, "She's worked ten days straight, and one of those days, she really wasn't well enough to work. She needs a break."

Standing in the middle of the hall undecided, Grissom tried to sort through the feelings churning in his mind. _Why hadn't she been well enough to work? What had happened? Why hadn't she come to him? _

"Oh, okay. Well, let's go then."

Greg followed with a sigh. She really did need the day off, and he was pretty sure she was in a good enough place – mentally – not to go off the deep end as she had the other day.

* * *

A/N 2 – Very short, very sorry. Hope you still enjoyed. Let me know. 


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N –As always many thanks to all those who reviewed, it means a lot and is much appreciated. So sorry for the long time btwn postings. Real world, writer's block, the first draft SUCKED big time, it's still somewhat Blahh! and short. Wow do I know how to sell my stuff or what! LOL Anyway here it is. Hope you like it anyway.

* * *

The B and E with suspected homicide turned out to be a home owner using justifiable force in protecting his property. It hadn't been the most taxing of days, but Greg was still happy to be on his way home.

On impulse, he headed towards Sara's home. He was curious to know what she'd done with her day off.

Pulling into the parking area of her apartment complex, he sat for a few minutes debating on how pleased or pissed she'd be for him to showing up. Deciding to err on the side of caution he pulled his cell from his pocket and punched in her number. After three rings her simple message informed him she wasn't able to answer the phone, but would be happy to call back later if a phone number was left.

He was on the verge of doing just that, but instead flipped the phone shut. Her car was in its lot, and the blinds were drawn. She had to be home.

Getting out of his car he continued debating whether it was a good idea for him to be doing this right up until he started knocking on her door. After a few minutes with still no answer he took his cell out again and punched in her cell number.

She answered after a few rings. "Sidle. Hey Greg."

"Hey yourself, where are you?"

"Why're you checking up on me?"

"No I just thought I'd drop by your place after work for breakfast or something only to find you're not here, even though your car's here and your blinds are drawn. Where are you?" he asked again.

"Grissom called, and had a police cruiser pick me up on the way to the crime scene."

Incredulous he asked, "You're working?"

"Yeah, like I just explained, Grissom called and said he was short staffed, and needed someone to process this scene."

Greg sighed in frustration as he made his way back to his car. "I told him that you wouldn't be available."

"Yeah, he said something about hoping he wasn't interrupting a 'woman's' appointment. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, so he asked me to come in. I said it'd be okay."

Greg's voice filled with disappointment. "Oh yeah, I said that you had a doctor's appointment which is why he asked the question. I told him that cause I wanted you to actually use your day off." His irritation was clear as he said, "I can't believe he'd do that. I told him you weren't available to come in. Why didn't you tell him to go jump?"

"Greg, he's my boss. He needed me and I _wasn't_ doing anything."

Starting his car he replied, "Except taking a well deserved day off. You work too much as it is, and you let him take advantage of the fact that you have a thing for him, and you'd do anything to please him." The second after he'd spoken he knew he'd gone too far.

"Ahh Greg, it's none of your business and I have to get back to work. If I'm not pissed of anymore, I'll talk to you later."

Greg let his head fall against his steering wheel. It was so hard to get through to her that Grissom, although interested wasn't going to do anything about it, other than exploit the fact that she was crushing on him, to make her do whatever he wanted her to do. He drove home and tried not to think about how very pissed at Grissom he was.

Sara on the other hand looked at her cell-phone with disgust. She was pissed at Greg for assuming she needed help deflecting Grissom and she was pissed at Grissom for once again assuming, albeit correctly, that she'd be free whenever he called.

She finished off the scene in as short a time as possible before having the officer who'd driven her to the scene drop her off at the CSI lab. Once she'd dropped off the evidence at lock-up and getting the chain of evidence paper signed, she went to Grissom's office.

He sat at his desk, almost hidden behind a mountain of paperwork. Looking up he gave a small smile when he saw Sara at his door. One look at her expression and his smile vanished.

Without preamble she asked, "Why'd you call me to come in when Greg said that I'd be unavailable?"

He slipped his glasses off and laid them on his desk. "Because I really needed an extra person in and I was hopeful that I'd given you enough time for you to be done with your appointment, and that you'd be nice enough to come in although I know you, more than anyone, other than maybe myself needs a day off. I'm very grateful for you for coming in, and I apologize for being so presumptuous in thinking that'd you'd drop everything to come in. I'll try not to let it happen again."

Sara stared at him for a full two minutes, and Grissom became somewhat unnerved at her steady gaze.

"What?" he finally asked.

Shaking her head she said, "Nothing. Thanks for the apology. It's accepted. Shift's over. Wanna have breakfast?"

It was Grissom's turn to sharpen his gaze. Sara held up her hands in surrender. "Nothing meant by it. Just two co-workers having breakfast together."

Sighing and wishing more than anything that the pile of paperwork was gone Grissom said, "Believe me when I say I wish I could. But I've GOT to get this paperwork finished before I can even think of leaving for the day."

Sara nodded, Greg's voice haunting her. _You let him take advantage of the fact that you have a thing for him, and you'd do anything to please him._

She shook her head to get rid of Greg's voice of truth. "Sure okay. See later at shift tonight."

Grissom nodded and buried his head back into his paperwork.

Leaving the building, Sara couldn't help herself, as she went to the nearest Starbucks and grabbed the breakfast special which she dropped off for Grissom who was out of the office when she left the small token of affection for him.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N –So sorry it took such a long time to post this chapter, but was having problems with the ff site, writer's block and real world all took their toll. Had a version of chapter 8 all written, but it sucked even more than this one. Anyways I hope you still enjoy.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Sara fell back onto her couch and sighed in frustration. Many times during the years she'd heard that people had been faced with this problem, but she never thought she'd be one of them.

Grissom and Greg were both vying for her attention, if not affection. In Greg it was sweet because of his infatuation for her from the very start. In Grissom it was heart stopping, as it was what she'd dreamt of for so long, yet also irritating, because he always seemed to be just that little more ingratiating when he became aware he was on the verge of loosening her.

The difference was of course that previously it was Grissom whom she felt that 'something' for. While dating 'Hank the Weasel' she'd tried to focus all her attention on that relationship and that relationship only but when she'd finally discovered the two-timing worm he'd been, it was back to full focus on Grissom. That led to the infamous dinner rejection.

Although her heart may long for Grissom, her head was forcing her to notice Greg. 'Annoying Greg, who'd made puppy dog eyes at her since her first day.'

Now that she'd started training him, and taking notice of him as a man, she'd noticed some very redeeming and endearing qualities that had her seeing him as more than just a 'lab geek'. Especially when it came to his concern for her drinking and the thrilling trip to the 'Body Farm': a trip that Grissom had denied her for the past five years. On top of that was his incredibly enjoyable company.

It was hard to remember that underneath that mess of hair was a very bright mind and a wicked sense of humour.

She had just finished her coffee and was about to pour herself another cup when the phone started ringing. Checking the caller ID she saw it was Greg. Smiling she picked up the phone.

"Hi Greg."

He was happy to hear the smile in her voice on the other end. "Hey Sar, how do you feel about taking some time for a drive out to Rainbow Springs. I've heard it's really pretty, and I thought you could maybe use some decompression after _working on your day off!_"

"Greg, drop it okay? Same thing as the drinking. I know what I'm doing and although I really appreciate your concern I'm dealing. A hike at Rainbow Springs sounds good though. Can we be back before mid-day though, cause I gotta do a few things before getting some sleep before work."

"It's a little short," he sounded disappointed. "How about you just come over for a movie or something?"

"I don't know Greg…"

"Yeah, okay. Stupid of me. I'll see you at work tonight." He hung up without saying anything else.

She was on the verge of calling him back and accepting the invitation, but decided against it. She had too many feelings that were unresolved and it would be unfair to lead Greg on if she still had any feelings for Grissom, and if she was going to be honest with herself, then it was more than obvious that she did have 'feelings' for Grissom.

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N –Thanks to the positive feed-back, from the first thru to the last chapter. Reviews as always are much appreciated.

Just a little FYI, this story takes place before the team break-up during season 5.

Thanks to those who took the time - Missusmesser, LocoGreggo, Jenn Sidle, msgrits, novafan, csiatlantis, Tripp3235, trainerker, Duckie24, CPDCSI, Blaze, Kelly, moi, jesusfreak30, Phoenix38133, csijunky05

* * *

**Chapter 9**

Sara and Greg spent the next week barely speaking to another beyond the necessity of the job. Sara even went so far as to ask not to be teamed with Greg as she thought he'd learn a lot from the other members of the team.

For his part, Greg was happy to have some distance between himself and Sara. What he'd thought was a burgeoning relationship seemed to be nothing more than an illusion.

Nick was the first to notice that the former lab-rat seemed a little distracted by a certain brunette. He was trying to hide the fact that he was watching her every move at the morning briefings. But Nick noticed the surreptitious looks that he was constantly throwing her way.

As they headed out on their nightly assignment, Nick looked to the young man sitting next to him. "Hey Greggo. What's on your mind?"

Greg looked to Nick. "Huh?"

Nick smiled. "What's up? You've been kinda quite for the last few days."

"You know about women don't you?" he asked.

"Sure a little I guess. Don't suppose anyone's a real aspect on those endowed with the double X."

Greg smiled. "What do you think of Sara?"

"In what context are you asking?"

Shrugging a little with embarrassment Greg said, "Well, you know that I've been crushing on her since she started right?"

Laughing Nick replied. "I think that would probably be the worst kept secret in the lab."

Blushing slightly, Greg cleared his throat. "Yeah well anyway. Lately, it seemed we'd been getting close, you know like in a relationship kind of way. That on top of the fact that lately she'd been responsible for most of my training, we'd been getting to know each other much better. And I was sure that there was something more there, at least the beginning of something more anyway. Well, could I have been wrong. Like, totally mixing up signals?"

Nick shook his head. "I don't know man. What makes you think you were getting closer?"

"Okay, for starters, about a month ago, she seemed to have a total breakdown. I kinda helped her through it. Then the other week, I took her to the Body Farm. She'd been talking about it for ages, and I knew Grissom would never take her, so I thought it'd be cool to set it up for her. We had a real good time, but after that it seems to have gone down hill, and I'm not really sure why."

"So what happened after that trip?"

"Well, I said that she should take advantage of the day she had off, and to make sure to let Grissom know that should he call, she wouldn't be able to come in. Well, as always he did call, and she did go in. I told her not to give in to him all the time, cause that's what he always expects, and she's better than to be used like that."

Nick barked a small laugh. "Well, there's your problem dude. You can't tell Sara of all people what she knows herself to be the right thing to do. She's got a strong will, and pointing out her mistakes is only going to get her pissed off."

"But Grissom's always doing it to her. He's always doing a pull push thing with her, and I can see how much it hurts her. I don't want her to hurt. She's too good for him," he sighed. It was a relief to get it off his chest, and he knew Nick was discrete enough not to repeat any of what he'd just said to either Grissom or more importantly Sara.

"Greggo, I see it too. We all do. But that seems to be the way she wants it. If it wasn't she'd do something about it herself. She's a grown woman. She knows what she's doing."

Greg made a small noise that conveyed his disbelief. "Doesn't seem like it to me."

"Just wait for her Greg. If it's meant to be. It'll happen." They pulled up to their crime scene and began processing.

Back at the lab, Sara was in trace collecting evidence from her last case. Grissom passed the lab and watched her. He took in her slender form, chestnut hair, that she'd left natural that day. He loved it when she didn't straighten her hair, it made her look much softer.

He moved away before she noticed he'd been staring. Looking up, Sara let out a sigh, that he'd finally left. Cataloguing the evidence that she'd found so far, she labelled everything and took it to evidence lock-up, then she headed for Grissom's office.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N –Okay, this chapter may seem a little more G/S than Gr/S stick with it coz it gets better at the end.

Also, a thank you to - loose-canon-with-a-gun & csiatlantis.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

Sara followed Grissom to his office. One way or another, things were going to be resolved. It was on work time, but she no longer cared. The feelings the two men stirred up in her were unsettling her already shaky psyche even more.

Without a knock or pre-amble she entered his office, locked the door and closed the blinds. Grissom spun on his heel, and was glaring at her when the final blind was closed.

"Sara! What the hell are you doing?" It was a demand that would have been shouted had they not had a mere pane of glass between them and the rest of the hallway.

Sara sat calmly in the chair that faced his desk, a serene smile on her face that belied the nervousness she felt. When he finally finished ranting, she looked up at him. "Griss, what do you feel for me? And don't give me crap about how valuable I am to the team, what a good CSI I am. I know that. How do YOU feel about me?"

Grissom took his glasses off. "Well, Sara…you know I'm very fond of you."

Sara rolled her eyes and stood up. He'd been pacing the room, and she stopped him by standing in his way. Grissom swallowed hard. Brazenly Sara looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, that had intensified with being confronted.

She lay one of her hands over his chest and again asked, "What do you FEEL for me?"

She felt his throat then did something she'd dreamt about for years.

One hand remained on his chest while the other cupped his cheek. There was no resistance as she pulled him closer. After what seemed an eternity, Sara's lips finally met Gil's.

Under her finger tips, his fluttering heart beat still faster. As he started to relax, he leaned into her kiss, and she smiled inwardly at the small groan that rumbled deep in his throat. A kiss that lasted mere seconds seemed to last forever.

Grissom pulled back suddenly, and added to the distance by taking three steps back. "Sara, no!"

Her face fell, and her heart practically stopped. She lowered her eyes. Well, she'd wanted to know the answer and now she had it beyond a shadow of doubt.

Grissom recovered the three steps that he'd taken back. He took her cheek in his hand in much the same manner as she'd done with him. "Oh Sara, I'm so sorry. I know I've been hot and cold toward you, sent mixed messages, and for that I am so sorry. I trust your judgement. I know you're not a child, and that what you feel is very real and not just a crush. But this is about the fact that **I **can't commit to a relationship with someone I work with. It's too complicated. I care for you deeply, more than anyone I've ever met and if circumstances were different…well there'd be no question about a relationship between us."

Grissom lowered his eyes. Sara let out a breath she hadn't even been aware she'd been holding. Her eyes shimmered over with tears and she left without another word. Watching her leave, Grissom hoped fervently that it was just his office and not his life she was leaving.

Sara held her head high as she went to the locker room to gather her things. She met no one she knew on the way to her car where the tears that had been threatening to fall, finally did. She brushed them away angrily.

What had she expected? Had she been so naïve as to believe that he'd drop everything he'd created for himself, everything he was in essence for HER?

She pulled into her parking space and burst into tears. It wasn't so much that she'd finally had the answer to the question that had plagued her for so long. She'd pretty much been resigned to the negative since he'd said no to her dinner invitation. No, she was crying because she was angry that his rejection still stung so much. And worse still was that she'd been expecting no less. Trudging up the stairs to her apartment. The tears were tapering off, but she was beginning to feel foolish about her overt gesture. Throwing her bag onto the table, she went to the liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of J.D.

Forgoing any mixers, she grabbed a glass and fell back onto her sofa. She filled the glass almost to the brim, and downed it in one swallow. It'd been weeks since she'd had a drink, so it burned a little more than she'd expected and hit her a little quicker than she remembered.

An hour later, half the bottle was gone and Sara had become as the song says, 'Comfortably Numb'. It was nice not to care: about Grissom, about her past, about any of the feelings that crowded her mind.

A ringing started in her ears, and it took almost a minute for her to recognise it as the phone. She fumbled it twice before holding it to her ear. She didn't speak until she identified the voice on the other end. "Hey, Greggo! How you doin'?"

She knew he was talking, but had no idea what about. "Hey Greg, whatcha doin'?" she asked again.

Greg shouted through the line. "SARA? Are you alright?"

"Oh hey Greg. Yeah I'm fine."

"You've been drinking again." It wasn't a question.

Sara's voice became grouchy, "Hey, you're putting a serious damper on my very cool buzz. Besides, I only had a little."

"How much is a little Sara?"

"Half," she said in a small voice.

"Half what?"

"Uhh,…half a bottle."

"Half a bottle of what?"

"Jack was here!" she shouted gleefully.

"Dammit Sara!" He hung up the phone. She'd be pissed that he was coming over, but he also didn't really give a shit. For whatever reason she'd gotten herself sauced and he took it upon himself to make sure she was okay. And hopefully, finally discover the reason behind her binges.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

A/N – Takes place before Sara confides in Grissom what happened to her as a child, so before Nesting Dolls.

Thanks to remoob1513 – quick enough update:-)

* * *

**Chapter 11**

Greg pulled up in front of Sara's apartment complex and ran the stairs two at a time to her apartment. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. Trying the door knob, he was both thankful and somewhat disturbed to find it unlocked. Thankful because he wouldn't have to break down the door, and disturbed that she'd forgotten such a basic rule as to lock up.

His heart stopped cold in his chest when he saw her laying on the sofa. The half bottle that she'd said she'd drunk was now almost empty. He rushed to her side and took her wrist to check her pulse. He sighed with relief to find it strong and steady.

He tried to shake her awake, calling her name but she didn't stir. He then hauled her to her feet and walked her to the shower. Turning on the cold faucet he shoved her under the spray.

Sara immediately opened her eyes and started sputtering, fighting the hands that were keeping her under the cold stream of water. Greg fought to keep her under as long as he could. When she was finally able to focus on him, he saw in her eyes that she was not only pretty sober, but more than just a little pissed off.

"Fucking hell Greg! You trying to kill me?" she demanded. He handed her a towel as she stepped from the shower stall.

"No, I was actually scared shitless by the person on the other end of the phone call I made about 15 minutes ago who sounded totally smashed, and who when I got here was lying passed out on the sofa in an unlocked apartment. So if you really need to know, I was trying to help a friend, who although always denies it OBVIOUSLY needs someone to keep an eye on her because again despite what she says is clearly NOT **FINE**, and NOT coping with whatever is driving her to the bottom of a bottle. Which by the way NEVER solved a single problem."

The last bit was said to her bed-room door which she'd virtually slammed in his face. She emerged moments later in a dry change of clothes. Her hair was still wet and he thought how beautiful she looked even now. Especially with her hair naturally curling, framing her face, it was a look he'd never seen on her, and she looked gorgeous.

As she sat down on the sofa, Greg found himself with a small case of de ja vu as he fixed the coffee machine for a fresh brew. As the coffee started to drip, he went over to the sofa and sat down next to her.

Looking into Greg's eyes, Sara marvelled at how they were able to convey such intensity, yet be passionate at the same time. Not wanting him to see what was in her own eyes, Sara looked down quickly.

Wanting so badly to hold her hand, Greg stuck his in-between his knees to keep him from giving in to the desire to take her hand in his.

"Please tell me what's wrong. If nothing else, I can lend you my ear."

Taking a deep breath Sara steeled herself. "I kissed Grissom today."

Greg kept his peace as he had promised, but his mind was reeling, _'She kissed Grissom. Wow, never saw that one coming.' _

Realising she'd been quiet too long he prodded. "And…?"

Sighing heavily she continued, "…and he made it very clear that he'll never love me the way I love him."

Her voice started getting thicker and tears were beginning to collect in her eyes. Greg dared to snake one arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tight, letting her head rest on his shoulder. "Hey, he's not the only fish in the sea you know."

Without being able to see her face, he knew she was making one about his cliché comment. "Hey, whatever it lacks in originality it makes up for in truth." She sniffled and he could tell by the subtle movements in her shoulders that she'd started to cry.

"That's not all of it though is it?" he asked intuitively. There was a barely perceptible shake of her head. "Spill it kiddo. I'm listening. Look, two ears, no waiting."

She started to shrink from him. "You know those cases that bother me?"

"The domestic abuse ones?" Again, he felt not heard her answer.

"There's a reason why they bug me so much…"

The hair on the nape of Greg's neck stood, and the blood ran cold through his veins, sending goose-bumps through his whole body. It was the same feeling as one gets when you know that someone's going to give you bad news, or when you read or hear something that disturbs you on a very personal and intimate level.

"…when I was a kid, it was a constant part of my life. It all came to a head when my mother finally had enough and she stabbed my father to death. I spent the rest of my childhood in foster homes. Some were good. A lot were bad."

It took a few minutes for Greg to be able to formulate a coherent answer. He'd thought for the longest time he'd seen and heard enough in his job not to be able to be surprised by anything. Sara's revelation put that theory to bed. _'Shit, it's a miracle that she isn't any more screwed up.'_

"Wow, I don't know what to say Sara."

Sniffing she said, "There's nothing to say. It happened, there was nothing I could do about it, there's nothing you can do about it. But try as I might I can't seem to get past this in my mind."

"Well shit Sara, you watched your mom, whom you loved, kill your dad whom you loved. There's no reason that you should just GET PAST it. I think that what you need to do is learn to LIVE WITH IT. Know your limits. Take breathers when you need them. Who else knows about this?"

"You're the only person I've told. Please don't tell anyone else."

"Hey, my middle name is discretion, actually, it's Olaf after my grand-father, but you know what I mean." For the first time, Sara looked up at him. There was a small smile on her face. He could see the turmoil in her eyes, just below the surface. He gave her a quick hard squeeze before getting up.

"I'll go get us some coffee."

TBC


	12. Chapter 12

**DISCLAIMER** – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

**A/N** – Next chapter will be the last. Followed by two epilogues. One Greg/Sara the other Grissom/Sara. Hey, can't help myself. I'm a die hard Grissom/Sara shipper.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

The weeks following her revelation, Greg had kept a hawks eye on her. Making sure that anyone, especially Grissom didn't come down on her for any reason. He was sure that Sara would have been livid had she known he was running interference on everything, but he couldn't resist. He'd never had anything that bad happen to him, but he saw the fallout on a nearly daily basis, even if it occurred more than 20 years after the fact.

For her part, Sara was trying desperately to figure out what her EXACT feelings for Greg were. Yes, she was attracted to him. Once you got past the hair, and the out there personality quirks, he was an incredibly decent, kind and generous person. But there was still the small problem of Gil Grissom and the feelings that she had that simply wouldn't go away.

A chance to sort out her feelings came a few days later.

Having just finished a shower, she'd thrown on her robe and run from the bathroom still wet. Noting the caller from the caller ID, she answered, "Hey Greg. Yes I'm fine. No I haven't been drinking today, yes I had a nice day off."

"Cool!"

She smiled, realising she could actually hear him bouncing in his interminably hyperactive way. "Not really Greggo. I don't know if you've had a chance to put your head out of the lab yet, but it's only 8.30 in the morning and the temps already up over 95. Pretty sure we're gonna hit 115 today."

The smile in his voice was obvious as he said, "Yeah, I know it's gonna be a stinker. Which is why I'm inviting you to come with me to Lake Mead. No jet-ski's, no bikini's – unless of course, you insist…"

Sara uttered a small laugh. "Hey Greg, you know what sleep is right? I mean I know I can't really talk, being the queen of insomnia and all, but you gotta rest sometime."

"I know, and I do. I'll have you know I had a VERY restful 5 hours yesterday before work and it's MY shift off tonight, so I've got plenty of time. Besides, you said you're rested, so, I'll pick you up in half an hour. Wear whatever wet-wear you're comfortable with."

Sara huffed out a breath. Damn he could be persistent. "Okay, but only coz it's gonna be too hot for words today. And I'm not that fond of air-conditioning."

"Cool. Don't forget, anything you're comfortable with. Though I admit that I'm REALLY hoping it'll be a very scant bikini."

"Dream on Greggo. IF, and this is a REALLY, REALLY BIG **IF** you ever saw me in 'wet wear' that didn't consist of board-shorts and a t-shirt, it would be a VERY conservative ONE-PIECE black bathing suit, over which I can guarantee would still be a t-shirt."

"Aww Sara, you can really get a guys heart beating," he said laughing. "Anyway, I'll be there in half an hour."

Before she was able to protest, there was a click on the other end. Sighing in frustration, but smiling none the less, Sara went to the bedroom.

Opening her wardrobe, she sorted through her clothes, picking out a fifteen year old pair of cut offs and a tye dye t-shirt that she hadn't worn in just as long.

She actually decided to wear a pair of black bathers with small shell patterns underneath. Mostly she wanted to see Greg's reaction when she answered the door wearing the shorts and t-shirt and letting him believe that was going to be it.

Half an hour later, there was a knock on the door. Knowing who it was, Sara slipped into her bathrobe before answering the door.

Greg's wide grin dropped as he saw the bathrobe. "Uh, Sara, when I said anything you were comfortable, with, I was still kinda hoping you'd at least try for shorts and a tank-top or something."

Smiling Sara grabbed his head and started combing through his hair.

He pulled back, confused. "What're you doin'?"

Taking off her robe, to reveal the tight shorts and short shirt, she laughed, "Sanders, just making sure you don't have 'gullible' stamped somewhere on your head."

TBC


	13. Chapter 13

**DISCLAIMER** – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

**A/N** – Last chapter people. Hope you've enjoyed the journey. Was a very unexpected one for me.

Thanks to all those who kept reading and reviewing, it always makes a difference when deciding whether to continue a story or not,

Thanks especially to **remoob1513 **whose enthusiasm for my humble story made it much more fun to keep going, and of course to all the others who've reviewed over the months. It's been so much appreciated.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Greg's mouth dropped open at the sight of her out-fit. "Wow, that's…Wow."

Sara smiled as she picked up her bag with towels and other beach essentials and closed and locked the door behind her. "Greg, it's just a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Nothing to go have an embolism over."

Hopping into his sports utility convertible, Greg smiled, "Sar, I love you. Both as a friend, and well, you know I've been crushing on you since…well since you walked into the lab. So I gotta tell you when a guy is left speechless, especially when **I'm** left speechless it means that…"

She was looking at him with a totally dubious expression. It was then that another thing clicked into place for Greg. "You've never really believed it when someone's told you how attractive you are, have you?"

Sara didn't answer, just looked out at the passing scenery. Her hair blowing wildly in the wind. Greg took surreptitious looks at her every few moments. He knew by her silence that he was right. Having grown up in virtually perfect surroundings, he couldn't fathom how anyone who was as intellectual as Sara could never have seen or believed she was beautiful. He made up his mind, whether something became of their relationship or not, that she would know that she was beautiful. Not just physically either. But her sharp intelligence made that beauty indescribably sexy as well.

Stopping the car in an out of the way clearing that lead to a hidden cove, Greg jumped out of the car and hefted the cooler from the back. Sara sat in the car, legging hanging out of the open door. Noticing her silence, Greg shot over to her and grabbed her bag. "Come on! Let's go cool down."

Shaking off the funk she'd let herself into, Sara finally smiled. "You're on."

She slid off her shorts and t-shirt. Knowing it would make her uncomfortable, Greg tried desperately not to stare. It was a simple black speedo suit, but it made his mind blank, and turned back time to make him feel like a randy prepubescent teen.

For her part, Sara was equally impressed. Under the trendy clothes was the body of a swimmer. He wasn't as bulky as Nick or Warrick by any means, but what was there was toned and defined.

They cleared their throats simultaneously. "Okay, beat you to the water." Sara yelled racing for the shore.

Greg smiled wildly and chased her. Just as she reached the beach Greg caught up with her and grabbed her from behind. Lifting her he threw her over his shoulder fireman's style. Wading into the water he then lifted her off and threw her into the lake.

Surfacing after a few seconds, Sara laughed. "Would never have guessed you to be that strong Greg."

"The expression, 'never judge a book by its cover' exists for a reason," he said as he dove beneath the surface. A short time later, Sara felt him grab her legs and pull them from under her, causing her to go under the second time in as many minutes.

Re-surfacing, Sara sputtered. "Oh you're a dead man Sanders."

She took off after him, but wasn't able to catch up. Realising it was a waste of time, Sara headed back to the cove.

She popped the top off a soda when Greg finally returned and handed it to him. "This was a great idea Greg."

He finished half the can in one draught. "Just think how much more fun it woulda been if you'd have agreed to the jet-ski idea."

"I prefer the quite. It's nice after the noise of town." She lay on her towel and put her arm over her eyes.

Downing the rest of the drink, Greg grabbed the sunscreen lotion. "Hey, you might wanna consider putting this on," he said placing the bottle on the towel in front of her. "You're not very tan, and you don't wanna get all crispy before work."

Smiling she said, "You know what, how bout you put it on for me?"

Greg's jaw dropped, as he took the bottle of lotion and looked at it as though it were some alien artefact. "Ah, okay."

He was glad that she'd turned over on her stomach and couldn't see how badly his hands were shaking as he squirted the lotion onto his palms. Rubbing them together, he took a deep breath before smoothing the cream onto Sara's still slightly cool skin.

It took every trick he knew to stop himself from getting too excited. Chemical formulas, mathematical equations, physics problems. After a few minutes he was able to relax as he spread his blanket next to Sara's and lay down next to her.

Sara turned to him. "Thanks, that was nice."

"Mmm." Was all he was willing to reply.

"Greg."

He opened his eyes to find her staring at him. The moment stretched forever. They moved toward each other, and Greg's breath caught in his throat along with his heart. Sara smiled softly and closed her eyes.

Greg closed the short distance that remained and captured her lips with his own. The butterflies in both their stomaches were churning wildly, but as the kiss continued, the butterflies calmed down, and they were able to start enjoying the sensations they were causing in each other.

Relaxing into each other, they finally parted. Sara looked at him, her eyes showing the pleasure she felt. Without any words, they drew together again. This time their hands joined in the exploration. It was some time before they pulled apart again.

"Wow," Sara breathed.

"Uhh, yeah. Something like that," Greg replied.

"So I guess we have some kind of chemistry going after all."

Greg nodded still somewhat shell shocked. "Uh huh."

"Greg, you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be. I just made out with the woman I've been fantasising about for the past five years or so. And let me tell you, the reality DEFINITELY out strips any fantasy."

Smiling shyly, Sara looked down. Greg lifted her chin so he could look into her eyes. "Sara you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known, and I'm not just talking about the physical stuff. Your intellect, compassion, bravery, all those things you endured when you were a kid, have made you strong, and that strength coupled with everything else makes you sexier than every single showgirl on the Strip combined. I love you. I always have, and I always will."

"Greg, thank you. You've made me feel something for myself that I didn't know was possible. I've begun to like myself a lot more lately, because you're always so adamant about there being something there to like. Even after getting drunk, being terribly mean to you, and telling you about my childhood, you never flinched. Never thought any less of me, when in truth I couldn't care less about myself somedays. Thank you, for loving me. I can't say it back to you yet, but give me time, coz I'm pretty sure I love you too."

The End

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**Epilogue to follow…**


	14. EPILOGUE

**DISCLAIMER** – Not mine. Belong to Anthony Zuiker, et al, CBS and Alliance Atlantis.

**A/N** – It's done! Will not be doing a second Griss/Sara epilogue, the story really doesn't warrant one.

A great big thanks to ALL those who reviewed, especially those whose signed, and they are (especially – battlestarcsi, remoob1513 who almost always reviewed and made me finish with their enthusiasm for my story) also, ObessedTWFan, kegel, missusmesser, LocoGreggo, loose-canon-with-a-gun, Chelsea, Jenn Sidle, novafan, Tripp3235, trainerker, Duckie24, CPDCSI, Blaze, Kelly, moi, jesusfreak30, Phoenix38133, csijunky05, and also those who didn't leave a name.

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**Epilogue**

Sitting back in the shade, Sara reflected on all the changes that had occurred in the past year. Running her hand over her slightly distended belly, she waited for the slight movement that signalled new life. She was rewarded a few minutes later by her child kicking her. Smiling broadly, she couldn't believe that she had new life growing within her.

The last time she'd been her, almost a year go, she'd begun her relationship with Greg in earnest. It was strange to think of those years without him now. He'd been so integral in her ongoing recovery over what had happened to her as a child. His constantly calm demeanour ensured that whenever she felt lost and off balance, he'd be there, allowing her to use his strength to gain her own.

Looking back nostalgically, she remembered their first night back together after the lake. They'd sat close together, having a quite conversation before shift, letting the ebbs and flows of conversation wash over them. So much so that they didn't realise when Grissom entered until all conversation stopped.

They looked up simultaneously. Grissom's blue eyes flashed, but it was hard to tell what emotion he had hidden behind them. Before sending them off on their nightly assignments, Grissom called Sara into his office.

"Hey Griss, what's up?" she asked taking a seat.

Taking his glasses off slowly, a gesture which she immediately associated with him being rather perturbed, he sat down. "You and Greg are an item I take it?" It was a question, but one he knew the answer to already.

"I told you a few years ago, that by the time you figured out what to do about whatever it was we had it would be too late. Well, it's too late. I'd loved you for such a long time," she said revealing her heart fully. "But what I needed most was for someone to love me back, and you made it more than clear that you were never going to be there for me in the way I needed you to be. Greg was and is."

Grissom nodded slowly. There was absolutely no recourse, to the argument, because it was all true. "Okay," he said quietly. "I certainly hope he'll make you happy though."

Sara nodded with a smile. "He already has Griss, more than I ever thought was possible."

With that she'd left his office. Initially she felt a little bad for him, but then she remembered how long she'd waited. How many chances she'd given him to acknowledge SOMETHING, ANYTHING for her more than what was on the surface.

Greg shook his hair over her, breaking her reverie. "Hey beautiful, how're you and my little protégé doing?"

He rested his hands on her belly, and smiled widely when he felt an answering kick. "Hey little dude," he said softly. "How you doin'?"

Sara smiled, she loved how much Greg loved their unborn child. His total enthusiasm for becoming a father put to rest all the fears she'd had about starting a family. Moving up, he kissed his wife soundly on the lips. "Mmm, you're beautiful, you know that!"

"You're full of shit, you know that," she replied.

"Hey, are you dissing how beautiful you look carrying my child?"

Sara chuckled. It was still somewhat of a novelty to be considered beautiful. No matter the time of day, what she looked like, or what she felt like he always considered her the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Greg, thanks again for being here for me all this time. I love you more than you can possibly imagine."

Smiling he kissed her again. "Thank YOU. For finally giving me a chance to show you how much you mean to me. I'll always love and cherish you."

**THE END! **


End file.
